If you ever thought, "Hey, Khan would have made a great Bond villain", have I got the movie for you.

Longer review:

Visually arresting film; great use of color and light. Well-written but poorly plotted. Loved the use of a central theme with supporting recurrent motifs, but too many scenes seemed a result of, "Hey, this would be really cool. How do we get there?" Simply put, the movie doesn't constantly strain credulity, it picks it up over its head and smashes its back over its knees. I'm not talking about "C'mon, nobody could take a beating like that", I'm talking about things like elaborate traps being sprung in locations that the characters have just arrived at randomly. Which brings us to the villain...

Javier Bardem made this film. He's a stunning actor. Like all of the classic Bond villains, he has an obsession that gives him power (in this case, computer hacking), and we've got the requisite scene of him passionately monologuing about it to Bond. And he uses that power to spin his evil plot, but in a way that would have depended upon him knowing random events in advance. Worse yet, the culmination of his plot involves him not using any computer cleverness whatsoever but doing something he could have easily accomplished in a darkened doorway with a gun. Hence, Rube Goldberg. It bordered on comical.

Still, I loved it, simply because it was a Happy 50th party to Bond. With Casino Royale, the owners of the franchise deliberately made Daniel Craig's Bond a very different animal, and turned their backs on the tropes of Bonds past to make a fresh start (remember his answer to "Shaken, or stirred"? A defiant, "Do I look like I give a damn?"). It was a good move, but with Craig's third outing, they made the equally canny decision to bring him back home. I won't spoil anything, but they enthusiastically bring back a few things old Bond fans know and love, with an ending that brings him full circle.

So, as a visual treat, it's great. As a film, it's got too many plot holes to keep you in a willing suspension of disbelief. But as cultural comfort food, it's satisfying as hell.

__________________Reverēre meam auctōritātem

Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer are praising the Supreme Court for overturning an anti-gay-marriage law that they both signed.

I think Daniel Craig IS Bond, if you read any of the Ian Flemming books only Sean Connery and Craig nail the steely eyed killer down pat. Plus he's married to Rachel Weisz which pretty well stamps his Man-Card.

Rodger Moore brought a whole different and incorrect perspective on the role in my opinion though he was mildly entertaining. Lazenby and Brosnon did OK I suppose but I'm really happy to see the return to the original with Craig and I'm looking forward to seeing Skyfall whenever I get around to it.

Eh. James Bond movies are always fun, even when they are bad. And just because a 15 year old with no attention span doesn't like it is no reason to miss it. It's all down hill since that Casino Royale remake anyhow. That's a hard act to follow.

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"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

I watched a couple Roger Moore Bond films yesterday; and I have to say they did NOT age well; unlike the Connery versions. My bet is that the current versions will be classics; Craig is that good, the production values are off the chart, supporting actors the same...

Shizuki, you may have inspired me to hobble my crutchy-ass down to the theater tonight!

How is sitting for you? Does the hip stiffen up at all? Or are the drugs that good?

I was taking Percocets the first two weeks, but they were causing problems of their own (you probably know what narcotics do to your "system") and they gave me wicked night sweats, so I dropped them. And you're right, if I sit more than a few minutes the damn joint stiffens up.

Now let me tell you about my gout ach the pain is unbelievable that young doctor says I should be happy it's not worse but I'm an old man and I can't control the gas anymore your Mother God rest her soul wouldn't sleep in the same room the last few years and then I'm up and down all night having to urinate five six times a night how is man supposed to get any sleep like that and I can't eat the knish or my stomach turns into a volcano....

I was taking Percocets the first two weeks, but they were causing problems of their own (you probably know what narcotics do to your "system") ....

No kidding, It's beyond me how anyone can take those for fun. I was on them after my colon resection and both hernias and they cause more problems than they solve. I used to keep some around for the odd back pain or something but I just don't tolerate them at all.

Glad you're on the mend, try the Matzo's if your stomachs upset and eat some of the knish too, your sister worked hard to make them for you, you want to hurt her feelings? you were never so selfish you know, I don't know where you get that from, you starting running around with all the Einstiens at NASA and all of a sudden your families cooking isn't good enough for you Mr. Von Braun?

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